Pattern-control mechanism for knitting machines



May 5, 1925. 1,536,200

W. FELS PATTERN CONTROL MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Original Filed July 1920 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS May 5, 1925. 1,536,200

w. FELS PATTERN CONTROL MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Original il J y 1920 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR W 47 6 v BY Z? gATTORNEY May 5, 1925. 1,536,200

w. FELS I PATTERN CONTROL MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Original Filed July 8. 1920 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Wa m BY Z M MW ATTORNE/Y4-ZM PATTERN CONTROL MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Original Filed July 8, 1920 I v Sheets-Sheet 4 i J "I W J "J 1% A g SAFETY s'rops ATTORNEY5 May 5, 192,5. 1,536,200

, w. FELS PATTERN CONTROL MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Original Filed July 8. 1920 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Conn-Ron. cu/un- QHANGE TuRsA' TENSION nAcmms CIRCU IT BREA K SAFETY AOKING SAFETY May 5, 1925. I 1,536,200

7 W. FELS PATTERN CONTROL MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Origina'l Filed July 8. 1920 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 J'ACGUARD THROW o o o INVENTOR May 5,1925. 1,536,200

W. FELS PATTERN CONTROL MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES n l File July 8. 1920 '7 Sheets-Sheet v INVENTOR Patented- May 5,

UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE,

WILLIAM EELS, or smears, ALABAMA, nssrenon To max NYDEGGER, or

I summon, new masmr.

PATTERN-CONTROL mncnamsu roa KNITTING macnmns.

Original application filed July 8, 1920, Serial No. 39

- 7 '0 all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Fans, a

. citizen of Austria, residing in Elberta,

- of which the following is a specification.

necessary for the operator to devote corn The present invention relates to an improvement in knitting machines and more particularly to pattern control mechanism therefor. ()no object has been to provide a. machine which shall be automatic in a greater or less degree and at the same time of relatively simple construction with a minimum of mechanically controlled and actuated parts. A. further object has been to provide relatively simple means for preventing injury to the machine in case of careless or erroneous operation.

It is known that knitting nuwhinesautomatic in varying degrees, have been devised but these machines are usually of complicatcd design and involve a nn|ltiplicity.of mechanical. movements which not only make the machine expensive to mamlfacture, but also cause frequent breakdowns and make it sidcrable attention to repairs and adjustments.

According to the present invention, I

.'utilizesubstantially the well known framesuitable modifications.

work and opposed front and rear needle beds of aflat links links machine, although I\ do not intend to limit the application of the present invention to machines of this t pe, it being contemplated that the same or similar principles of operation may be applied to other types of knitting machines with In connection with the flat double bed machine, I use stitch. forming .means including a. reciprocating carriage automatically reversible in direcfor effecting changes. in-the positions ofthe 45 mg'changes m. the stitch length, also cam: "positioning-means for controlling the actionof the needlejacks'to produce either fiat or tionand "which carries with it suitable means jack actuatin came to produce correspondlink's links operation according to a predecarriers to vary. the color scheme of the termined order, ands-also means for engag-'- ingfand disengaging a plurality of thread p p is y oratlons will'occur 1n prcdeterninied test an 'respondmg changes in the operation of the machine and thus 1n .the pattern of the 4,678. ,Dlvlded and this application filed September Serial No. 498,310.

fabric according to a predetermined arrangement.

Another feature of my improved knitting machine is the fabric tension device which effects a steady and uniform pull on the knitted web at all times and which is preferably combined with a safety stop motion arranged to stop the machine automatically upon the occurrence of a predetermined. degree of deviation from the established tension. Cooperating more particularly with the links to flat change portion of the mechanism arranged on the carriage, is a jack engaging device for automatically selecting jacks or combinations of jacks and moving them into and out of operative )o-sition. This device may conveniently be re erred to as a jacquard and is intended to perform automatically, and without stopping the ma- Chine, substantially the same functions which are now commonly performed only by hand in the ease of knitted fabrics of complicated design.

Further elasticity in the operation of the 'machine and in the character of the fabric produced is permitted by the provision of controlled automatically and by electrical means through the instrumentality of a suitable pattern chart having perforations arranged in the path of contacts, said contacts forming part of electrical circuits connected with, and controlling the operation of various change 'mechanisms of tht. machine. Thug-the chart may be rotated around the j of a drum in such a way that per relative sitions in the path of the confire the proper time to effect corfabric. Pattern control mechanism to effect the results indicated forms the subject matter of the present application which is a divisional of my co-pending application Serial No. 394,678, filed July 8, 1920.

One embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the drawings accompanying the present specification, and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation,

Figure 2, a rear elevation,

Figure 3, a top plan view,

Figure 4, a diagrammatic representation of a portion of the power circuit including circuit breaking stop means,

Figure 5, a transverse vertical section on the line 55 of Figure 3,

Figure 6, an end elevation showing the.

arrangement of the jacquard and of the electrical pattern control chart,

Figure 7, a diagrammatic representation of a portion of the electrical pattern con trol system,

Figure 8, a diagrammatic representation of a further portion of the electrical pattern control system more particularly related to the operation-of the jacquard,

Figure 9, a detail fragmentary view of the pattern control chart and co-operating contacts,

Figure 10, a detail view partly in vertical section of the pattern control chart and contact making and breaking mechanism associated therewith, and

Figure 11, a top view of the contact making and breaking mechanism associated with the pattern control chart.

Referring to the drawings, a machine embodying my invention may conveniently comprise a framework A supporting a fixed rear needle bed B and a front needle bed 6 preferably slidable both longitudinally and laterally (Figure 3), said needle beds being of the usual type with the needle grooves of one bed registering with corresponding needle grooves in the other bed and equipped with needle operating jacks slidable in said beds and engaging a set of me dles having a hook at each end. A recip rocating carriage D is arranged above the needle beds B and C, said carriage being driven by any suitable means such as a motor E operatively connected to a drive chain 101, said chain having a slotted member 102 adapted to receive and engage the free end 103 of a lever pivotally mounted on the carriage at 101- (Figure 3). As shown more clearly in Figures 1 and 2, the chain 101 is mounted on sprockets arranged at opposite ends of the machine, said sprockets being driven by a belt or other connection with the motor E. To effect the reciprocating motion of the carriage, means are provided for periodically reversing the direction of the current through the armature of the motor thus reversing the direction of the chain To accomplish this reversing operation automatically, a reversing switch is interposed in the power circuit, said' switch being controlled by a double relay, indicated at F in Figure 7 of the drawings, the opposed magnets of which are alternately energized at the end of each run of the carriage, the circuit being closed through suitable contacts mounted on the framework of the machine and on the carriage respectively. However, before reversing the current in the armature of the motor, it is desirable to reduce the current or otherwise impede the movement of the carriage so as to avoid harmful impact thereof at the ends of its course. As shown in Figure 7, the motor circuit includes the conductors 105 and 106, the latter of which contains a resistance 107 and also a parallel resistance or rheostat 108 manually operative for regulative movement. To increase the resistance in the conductor 106 and thus reduce the motor speed, the rheostat 108 may be periodically out out. This is conveniently accomplished by means of a relay including a magnet 109, said magnet being in circuit with both magnets of the double relay F and also with'the fixed contact R at one end of the machine, an adjustable contact R at the opposite end of the machine, and a movable circuit closing contact R" mounted on the carriage D. For practical purposes, the magnet 109 and the double relay may operate substantially simultaneously. However, the action of the double relay may be effectively delayed by making the bar 110 thereof heavier than the bar 111. Thus, the current in the motor E will be reduced either simultaneously with or just before the change of the current therein. -Obviously, although I have described an automatically reciprocating drive for the carriage, any other suitable means for oscillating the carriage may be employed.

In connection with the driving means, I have also provided suitable means for stopping the operation of the machine either at a predetermined point or upon the occurrence of some predetermined circumstance. such for example as the breaking of a thread or the occurrence of a drop stitch or the substantial reduction of tension on the woven fabric. For this purpose, I have interposed in the motor circuit a relay represented at G (Figures 4 and 7), and actuated by the closing of any one of a plurality of possible circuits connected electrically with the conductor 112 which in turn forms a parts of the circuit including the magnet 113 and the relay-G. The number of circuits so shown in Figure 1 is not intended to be a limitation upon the number which may be provided in a complete apparatus. However, as shown, each of said circuits is normally open until something happens to close it. Thus, assuming that the conductor 114 forming-a part of the cir-.

cuit associated with the tensioningappa- ,ratus, for example, the contact 115 ma be --fixed on a ortion of the framework 0 the machine while the contact 116 maybe carried by a swinging portion of the tensioning device, said contacts being normally separated While the proper degree of tension is maintained. It for some reason,- the ten- S101). diminishes to such an extent that contact 116 moves into engagement with contact 115, the circuit of conductor 114 will be closed thus energizing the coil 113, whereupon the power circuit will be interrupted and the motor E will stop. Where the machine embodies a number of safetycircuits and stops of substantially similar character, it will be advantageous to incorporate therein suitable signals by which the operator may ascertain the cause of the stoppageof the motor. Accordingly, an indicator or annunciator of some sort may be interposed in each of the circuits, as for example, -a

' light 117 in the conductor 114.

' geared to a small motor 120 trolled rheostat.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 5, in which I have illustrated more clearly the tension device, it will be seen that the knit ted fabric, as it hangs from the needles,

may he passed between a pair of rollers 118 and .119, of which roller 11.8 is driven, being The current through said motor is maintained constant during wehengagmg operation of the machine, the amount thereof --'being controlled by a suitable manually con- The roller 119 is preferably held in yielding engagement "with the web of fabric as it passes across the roll- ,that 1 theyifwillf 1 actuate one of or 118. As indicated in Figure 5,, the roller 119 is mounted on lever'arms 121 pivoted at 122. Another pair of levers 123 pivoted at 124 bear against the levers 121 and are held in ielding engagement therewith by means 0 springs'125. The pivots 122 are permitted to slide to the required degree in 'a slot 126. Thus, the roller 119 may be operated manual] either to engage or to disengage the web of fabric between said roller and the roller 118 and, when in Web engaging position, said roller 119 will exert a ylGldlIIQJJIGSSUIQ against the web as the latter is e rotation of the roller-118, driven by the continuously operating motor 120, which as soonasthe slackis taken up, will exert a steady tension or torque on the fabric.- The mechanical partof the stop motion mechanism hereinabove described in connection with the. tensioning a paratus includes a crossbar 12 7 suspended between a pair of levers 128 pivotallymounted on the frameworkof the machine and in such position contact ltiwhenfthe'cross barl127' is dey determined amount by relaxa- (Figure 1);

between said rollers due to the unless both sets of contacts 'ment simultanemislyllet'errmg to Figures the movable tionoffthe tension on the web. In operation, whenflthetension apparatus is effective, the crossabar 127 will be held in sucha osition thattthe ntacts 115 and 116 will separatedtf f for any reason the tension is re- 10. laxed, the contacts willbe closed and the 1 driving motor E will be stopped in the manner hereinabove described. 1 l

Suitable stop motions are associated with the thread feed. Forexample, referring to 5 Figures 1, 3 and 6, the yarn or thread to be used in the operation of the machine may be withdrawn through suitable fixed thread uides 130 and 131, adjacent to yielding t read guides 132 and 133, at the opposite ends of which are electrical contacts normally open while the thread is being withdrawn or held 'in position for withdrawal by the thread carriers. However, if a, thread breaks, the yielding guide 133 will be deflected away from the direction of.move ment of the thread and the contact at its opposite end will be moved to close the circult of conductor 112 as explained in connection with the operation of the stop motion of the tension device.

In addition to the automatic features associated with the reversing mechanism,lhave also provided automatic means for controlling and actuating in predetermined succession those parts of the device which operate more particularly to form the fabric and to overn the character of the pattern thereof.

,his automatic control is effected through a combination of electrical and mechanical arrangements which are measurably simpler than those commonly utilized for a similar purpose in the knitting artand, at the same time effect a highly desirable uniformity and certaintyof operation. -The control apparatu's, according to my invention, co-operates with? the driving mechanism in such a manner that the necessary changes of certain parts are efl'ectfed at the proper time to seprevent injury to the machine, the latter result being accomplished through the instrumentality of suitable safety devices. The general scheme of control includes a system ofcircuits each having one set of contacts whichengage according to a predetermined arrangement, so that no change Isefi'ected are in engage- 2 and 7 of the drawings, the periodically opcrating contacts are represented at-H, t and K, the contacts H being fixed at one end of the machine, the contacts J- being slidably mounted at the other end of the machine, so that the length of strokeof the carriage may be varied, and the contacts K being mounted on the carriage to reciprocate therewithn Thus, some of the contacts K enga 'e all of the contacts H at each stroke toward the left end of the machine, while some of the contacts K engage all of the contacts J at each stroke toward the right end of the machine.

All of the contacts H and J are in circuit with a rotating drum 201, the details of which are more clearly disclosed in Figures 9 to 11 inclusive. Intermittent movement is imparted to the drum 201 by suitable means connected with the reciprocating carriage and operated thereby. Thus, the carriage is provided with an upwardly projecting cam shaped member 202 (Figure 2) which moves in the path of a lever 203 (Figure 3) and deflects one end of said lever upwardly. This lever 203 is securely fastened to a rod 204 (Figure 2) journaled in the framework of the machine and having a lever arm 205, Figure 5, secured at one end. A link 206 pivoted at 207 imparts a rocking motion to. a shaft 209 upon which is secured a pawl carrier 208 (Figure 10). h A pawl 210 mounted on carrier 208 is held by means of a spring 230 in engagement with a ratchet 211 which is operatively connected to the drum 201 and imparts intermittent movement to said drum to the extent of one step during each stroke of the carriage. A contact carrier 212 is mounted adjacent to the drum 20-1and is provided with a plurality of perforations adapted to accommodate plunger contacts 213 normally pressed toward the drum by means of springs 214. The carrier 212 is pivotally mounted at 215 and is connected to the pawl carrier 208 by means of a link 216. A spring 217 may be provided to hold the contact carrier normally in position to permit the plunger contacts 213 to engage the peripheral surface of the drum 201 through pattern controlling perforations hereinafter referred to, or, in the absence of perforations,

\ to engage the surface of a pattern chait 21S arranged to'cover the surface of said drum. A yielding detent 219 engages the ratchet 211 to prevent lost motion. As indicated in Figure 9, the pattern chart 218- is provided with perforations'22O which receive corresponding sprocket projections 221 extending from the peripheral surface of the "drum 201. The surface of the chart may be provided with transverse and longitudinal markings 231 and 282, respectively, by which the pattern controlling perforations 222 -and'223 may be more readily located and identified as to function. In the embodiment of my in= vention illustrated in the drawings, the pattern chart will move twice between each two of the perforations 220. In other words, the pattern chart will travel a distance equal to the distance between two perforations 220- I during a complete oscillation of thecarriage. D. but the movement will take place in two increments. Thus, a change perforation222 occurring-on the same transverse line with the perforations 220 will indicate a change to be effected at the end of arun of the carriage in one direction while a change perforation 223 indicates a change to be effected at the end of a run of the carriage in the opposite direction.

In operation, the plunger contacts 213 normally bear yieldingly against the surface of the pattern chart 218 or against the drum 201 when the perforations 222 and. 223 come into register with said plunger contacts, the latter in this position extending through said perforations and-in each case, closing a circuit. The operation of rotating thedrum takes place intermediate the ends of the carriage runs so that, when the carriage'reaches one end or the other of its course, one or more attern or other changes will take effect, epending upon the number and identity of perforations through which the plungers 213 are properly projecting into contact with the drum 201. Simultaneously with the rotary movement of the drum caused by movement ofthe pawl 210, I raise one end of the contact carrier 212 by means of the link 216 connected with the pawl carrier 208 and against the tension resistance of the spring 217. This raising of the carrier elevates the contacts 213 out of engagement with the drum or the patterrf sheet, as the case may be,

and serves to prevent sparking at the points I of the contacts 213 upon making and breaking contact with the drum, as well as to prevent possible injury to the pattern sheet by the dragging of the points during rotation of the drum.

From the foregoing description of my improved knitting machine and its method of operation, it will be clear that the present invention contributes materially to the sucmentalities such as, needles, jacks for operating the needles; and thread carriers, together with instrumentalities for actuating these devicesv either manually'or automatically or ibot'i. The size of a. given stitch depends on the degree to which the needle is ,-retracted by. the operation 'of the cams on the cam carriage. I

One ofthe objects of the present invention is to effect automatic control of changes in the'positions of said cams orto control the movement of said cams from one position to another to produce different stitcn lengths. Similarly, knitted fabric patterns are. varied by changing ,the position or direction of the stitch by running the ma chine .ou fiat or on links links. It is a further bject of the present invel tion to' A provide-means lor controlling changes effecting the-relative position or the direction of the stitch. In hand operated and partly automatic machines various expedients are used to form stitches in one direction or the other but I have illustrated a jacquard movement for this purpose. By the operation of my improved controlling apparatus, I automatically set the jacquard mechanism in operation at predetermined points, besides automatically -making adjustments I of the jacks which are usually required before efiecting changes from flat to links links, for exam 1e.

Obviously, ot erchange movements of the stitch forming mechanism may be controlled in a similar manner, and as I have set forth in my specification above. It may be noted here that the devices for efiecting the various changes such as thread change, lock change, stitch length change and jacquard form the subject matter of separate applications which are also divisionals of my original application hereinabove reterred to,

I claim as my invention:

1. In a hitting machine, the combination of stitch forming means, means for moving the stitch size and relative position determining portions of said stitch forming means, and electrically actuated means for selectively operating said moving means for the stitch size and relative position determining means, including magnets 0peratively arranged in relation to said moving means and in circuit with a plurality of contacts and a common contact, circuit breaking means movable between said plurality of contacts and the common contact and means cooperatin with said circuit breaking means for c osing said circuits in predetermined sequence.

2. In a knitting machine, the combina tion of stitch forming means, means for moving the stitch size and relative determining portions of said stitch torming means, and electrically actuated means for selectively operating said moving means for the stitch size and relative posltion de termining means, including magnets operatively arranged in relation to said moving means and in circuit with a plurality of yielding contacts and a common rotatable contact, a contact se arating member movable with the rotate le contact and interposed between saidrotatable contact and the yielding contacts, said separating member having perforations movable to posi tions opposite the ielding contacts to close the circuits in pre etermined sequence.

3. In a knitting machine having a reciprocating cam carriage, the combination of. change mechanism and means for actuating osition the same including magnetic. elements disposed in separate circuits and contact makmg and breaking mechanism for said circuits comprising. a pattern sheet, a common terminal for all circuits at one side of said sheet and a plurality of separate terminals at the other side thereof, said sheet having perforations arranged in predetermined position to permit contact between the common terminal and selected separate terminals and means cooperating with the carriage for advancing said pattern sheet intermittently 4. In a knitting machine having a reciprocating cam carriage,-the combination of change mechanism and means for actuating the same including magnetic elements disposed in separate circuits and contact making and breaking mechanism for said circuits com rising a pattern sheet, a common terminal or all circuits at one side of said sheet and a plurality of separate terminals at the other side thereof, means for intermittently advancing the pattern sheet with respect to said separate terminals, and means for retaining said terminals out of engagement with the pattern sheet while said sheet is being moved.

5. in a knitting machine having a reciprocating cam carriage; the combination of change mechanism and means for actuating the same including magnetic elements disposed in separate circuits and contact making and breaking mechanism for said circuits comprising a pattern sheet, a common terminal for all circuits at one side of said sheet and a plurality of separate terminals at the other side thereof, means for intermittently advancing the pattern sheet With respect to said separate terminals, and means for retaining said terminals out ofeengagement with the pattern sheet while said sheet is being moved, said means including a support for the separate terminals and means for moving said support away from the path of the pattern sheet during advancing movement of said sheet.

6. In a lmitting machine the combination of change mechanism and electrically actuated means for selectively efi'ecting operation of said change mechanism including a plurality of circuits, a common terminal for'said circuits, separate terminals for said circuits, and a pattern sheet interposed between said common terminal and said separate terminals and having means for permitting contact to be. established between said common terminal and predetermined separate terminals, said sheet being provided with markings to indicate the character of the change to be effected by any given conpart mechanical power operated connections and in part ele tric-magnetic selecting means, and pattern mechanism for controlling the energizing of the electromagnetic means, substantially as described.

8. in combination in a knitting machine, knitting instruments, a pluralty of yarn feed fingers, connections operated by mechanical power for throwing said ieed fingers into and out of Work, and electromagnetic means interposed in said connections and forming a part thereof for rendering the said mechanical power connections effective or ineffective, and pattern mechanism for controlling the energizing of said electromagnetic means, substantially as described.

9. In combination in a knitting machine, knitting instruments, a plurality of feeds, and means for rendering the feeds effective or ineiiiective in a prescribedorder, including in part mechanical power operated connections and in part electro-magnetic selecting' means, and pattern mechanism for controlling the energizing of the electro-magnetic means, substantially as described.

10. In combination in a knitting machine, knitting instruments, a plurality of feeds for striping the fabric, connections operated by mechanical power for controlling the feeds, to knit or not toknit, electro-magnetic means interposed in said connections and forming a part thereof for rendering said mechanical power connections effective or ineffective, and pattern mechanism for controlling the energizing of said electromagnetic means, substantially as described. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 13th da oi July, 1921.

WILLIj-ilii ELS, 

